7 random things that happened on this day, November 18th, in showbiz history...
1932 The fifth annual Academy Awards are held at the Ambassador hotel honoring the films released between August 1931 and July 1932. Grand Hotel wins Best Picture. It's the only Best Picture ever to win the top prize that was only nominated for that one Oscar and won of only three top winners to win only one statue (the others were Broadway Melody at the 2nd annual Oscars and Mutiny on the Bounty at the 8th Oscars). As we've said multiple times, it's too bad there weren't supporting Oscars back then because Joan Crawford sure was more than worthy in the all star ensemble. The only film to win multiple Oscars that night was the pre-code relationship drama Bad Girl which took Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. (The next ceremony would have a long eligibility period because Oscar wanted to move to the full January to December calendar year system)...
1959 Ben-Hur premiered in NYC and would go on to become the top box office attraction of 1959 and sweep the Oscars the following April with 11 wins. No film has ever bested that total though Titanic (1997) and Return of the King (2003) eventually tied it.
1980 Heavens Gate premieres in NYC and plays for just one week before United Artist pulls it from theaters due to negative reception and sparse audiences. Very strangely it doesn't showup elsewhere until the following year when it plays Cannes, then flops in US (but becomes Oscar eligible) and then receives 1 Oscar nomination to its 5 Razzie nominations for the 1981 film year. Now it has many defenders. Strange trajectory!
1983 It was a crowded Friday at theaters for new movies. The new releases were: A Christmas Story (which became a classic), Nate and Hayes starring Tommy Lee Jones, A Night in Heaven (male stripper drama and something of a camp classic), Sleepaway Camp (something of an infamous slasher flick), and the now forgotten horror flicks Amityville 3D, and some sci-fi horror flick called The Being which had several old Old Hollywood stars in it. Amityville 3D topped the charts with huge hit / future Oscar contender The Big Chill (in it's 8th week !!!) still at number #2.
1992 Malcolm X is released on Delroy Lindo's 40th birthday. It was his 8th film and first Spike Lee joint. Cut to now: He has Oscar buzz for Spike Lee's latest Da 5 Bloods.
2005 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire opens in theaters featuring the screen debut of Robert Pattinson as "Cedric Diggory". I think we can all agree he's had an interesting and eventful career since.
2011 Happy Feet Two, a sequel to the Oscar-winning animated film opens in theaters. I have no recollection whatsoever of this movie existing or what happens in it. Do you?
Today's Birthday Suit
Chlöe posing for Allure 15 years ago
Happy 46th to Nineties and Aughts hipster icon Chlöe Sevigny. Have you seen her in the new Luca Guadagnino HBO series We Are Who We Are?
Actors celebrating birthdays today: Noemie Schmidt (30), Pablo Lyle (34), Robert Kazinksy (37), Damon Wayans Jr (38), Nasim Pedrad (39) Allison Tolman (39), Jun'ichi Okada (40), Nate Parker (41), Miranda Raison (43), Steven Pasquale (44), Chlöe Sevigny (46), Goran Kostic (49), Peta Wilson (50), Owen Wilson (52), Tim Guinee (58), Elisabeth Perkins (60), Tohoru Masamune (61), Delroy Lindo (68), Andrea Marcovvi (72), Linda Evans (78) and Brenda Vaccaro (81)
Other showbiz people with birthdays today: Fashion designer Christian Siriana (35), Director Julia Ducournau (37), Personality Megyn Kelly (50), Writer/Producer Steven Moffat (59), Pop singer Kim Wilde (60), Composer Carter Burwell (66), Comic writer Alan Moore (67), Cinematographer Jack N Green (64), Novelist Margaret Atwood (81)
Gone but not forgotten: Trailblazing Oscar-winning screenwriter Frances Marion (The Big House, The Champ) born on this day in 1888, Imogen Coca (Your Show of Shows) born on this day in 1908, Oscar-winning ongwriter Johnny Mercer (Breakfast at Tiffany's) born on this day in 1909), Mexican icon Pedro Infante (Pepe el Toro) born on this day in 1917, David Hemmings (Blow-up) born on this day in 1941.